The AV Industry celebrated its best and most innovative projects at the 15th annual Audio Visual Industry Awards (the AVIAs), with a ceremony held during the Integrate trade show at Sydney’s International Convention Centre. 

This year’s distinguished panel of judges, nominated by industry bodies AVIXA and AETM, were drawn from five countries in our region, coming together virtually to bring their expertise to bear on a wide spectrum of entries. The awards target excellence and innovation with the judges looking for projects that pioneered novel techniques and exceeded their client’s expectations. Fittingly, the 2024 AVIA sponsor is Dante, Australia’s home-grown powerhouse of innovation in AV Technology.

Although developed, administered and presented by AV Technology, the AVIAs would not be possible without broad industry participation and we particularly thank our 2024 sponsor Dante for their support; the Integrate show for their generosity in providing the venue; AVIXA, AETM and the many hours spent by our volunteer judges, as well as all those who have entered their projects. 

So, to the winners. The Awards this year covered four categories and included projects completed in the calendar year 2023 for the Commercial and Government sectors, in Education, AV Productions, and installations for Exhibitions and Displays.

The AVIA went to AVIT Group Australia for their installation at Fortress Sydney.

In their comments, the judges noted that, in this venue, comprising an eSports arena; a games arcade; restaurants; bars and function spaces, the AV systems created by the AVIT Group had become the very essence of the customer’s experience – and not just a supporting component. They considered that their work on this project led the way in defining a new form of immersive entertainment venue.

The AVIA winner is Converged Technology Pty Ltd for their work on the upgrade to Hobsons Bay City Council Chambers.

No off-the shelf solutions met the challenging requirements for a new display and streaming solution for Hobsons Bay Council meetings. In their response, Converged Technology combined novel hardware selections with custom modified software and clever programming to nail the demanding brief within tough budget constraints.

The AVIA was awarded to consultants Pereira Wilson Pty Ltd for their work developing the Australian Catholic University Innovation Hub.

Noting that health is one of the hardest fields in which to provide a virtual environment, the Judges praised Pereira Wilson for the way in which they guided the development of this project, the first of multiple planned ACU Innovation Hubs, where students from different allied health disciplines will be able to work together virtually in an immersive environment. They were impressed by the way they worked with the academics and the medical profession to create such a flexible and adaptable educational resource.

In this combined category, with a number of outstanding and diverse entries, the Judges elected to award both an AVIA and a Judges’ Commendation for Excellence.

The AVIA for Best Application of AV was awarded to Art of Multimedia for the Murrook Culture Centre.

The judges were impressed by the way Art of Multimedia used AV technology to bring to life the authentic Aboriginal narratives of the community. Importantly, they noted that their work created visitor impact and involvement in a way that didn’t allow the technology to overpower the story itself.

The Judging Panel awarded a Commendation for Excellence in this category to Novatech Creative Event Technology for outstanding work on the VAILO Adelaide 500 State Dinner 2023.

The Judges were particularly struck by the imagination and originality Novatech showed in the entry experience. Here they made clever use of transparent LED walls, which switched from displaying race footage to reveal real Supercars behind, instantly engaging guests and setting the scene for a unique night. They also appreciated the novel use of the Australian designed Bomag Al-track to suspend two massive LED walls, which opened to enable a surprise reveal of the stage.